Keywords
Bartonella henselae
indirect immunofluorescence
lymphadenopathy
How to Cite
Abstract
Introduction: Cat scratch disease is caused by the bacteria Bartonella henselae. It mainly affects children and usually manifests itself with self-limited regional lymphadenopathy. The diagnostic method consists of the detection of specific immunoglobulins by indirect immunofluorescence. Those with the disease usually have IgG titers equal to or greater than 1/256. Objectives: To determine the prevalence of anti-Bartonella henselae IgG and IgM antibodies in patients who meet epidemiological and/or clinical criteria, to correlate epidemiological data with serology results, and to study differential diagnoses. Materials and methods: A retrospective, descriptive and observational study was carried out in patients with suspected cat scratch disease from March 2016 to February 2022. A commercial immunofluorescence kit was used. The variables age, sex, presence of fever, contact with cats, age of the pets, onset of symptoms, presence and location of lymphadenopathy, antibiotic treatment at the beginning and after the result, and other serological tests were analyzed. Results: A total of 424 serum samples were processed. About 43.8% of patients had recent infection, there was male predominance (58.2%) and the median age was 7 years. In addition, 94.6% had lymphadenopathy, mostly cervical, 98.9% had contact with cats, and 81.2% received empirical treatment, mainly trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. The antibiotic regimen was adjusted to azithromycin in 76.4% of them. Conclusions: The population studied showed a high prevalence of cat scratch disease, so it is important to measure specific antibodies for Bartonella henselae to make a timely differential diagnosis in children with lymphadenopathy.
References
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